ANATOMY OF TORTURE — Historian Christopher Dietrich on the 100-year-long history of American torture; Jeffrey St. Clair on the implications of giving impunity to the CIA’s torturers; Chris Floyd on how the US has exported torture to its client states around the world. David Macaray on the Paradoxes of Police Unions; Louis Proyect on Slave Rebellions in the Open Seas; Paul Krassner on the Perils of Political Cartooning; Martha Rosenberg on the dangers of Livestock Shot-up with Antibiotics; and Lee Ballinger on Elvis, Race and the Poor South. Plus: Mike Whitney on Greece and the Eurozone and JoAnn Wypijewski on Media Lies that Killed.

Of course, the man who deserves the most credit is President Bush, who has provided the focus, the passion, and the commitment to put our War Product across! If you don’t think he’s focused, just listen to this exchange from his most recent press conference!

Q: Mr. President, your fly is open. Do you plan on zipping up any time soon?

A: I believe that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the American people.

Q: Following up on that, Sir, what does that have to do with zipping your fly?

A: A threat to our people–that’s what Saddam is. A threat. To the American people. Who are threatened. By Saddam. Who doesn’t pray daily, like I do. Daily. To God. Because he’s too busy threatening the American people to pray. Like I do. Daily.

See, people? Now that’s focus!

Okay, people, the War Product is ready for roll-out. You know what they say–“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Our dream is a second term for our beloved President, and the War Product is a vital part of meeting that deadline! Let’s keep our focus as “laser-sharp” as our President’s! Here’s what needs to be done during our March 17-18 launch window, and afterwards:

*LINE UP WINGNUT BLOVIATORS–Rush, O’Reilly, Savage, Hannity, etc.–to push line that “once war starts, anyone who criticizes government is a traitor, subject to arrest, blah blah.” Get the true believers foaming at the mouth.

*GET WINGNUT THINK-TANKERS ON ALL THE NEWS SHOWS talking about what an astonishing success we’re achieving, how it’s the vision of our glorious President, how Democracy is breaking out all over the Middle East, etc. etc.

*GET ASHCROFT ON BOARD to announce the arrest of a “dark-skinned male in his late “0’s planning dirty bomb attack in major city” to give people the jitters. Once we arrest the poor sucker, put him in a Navy brig somewhere.

*MOST IMPORTANTLY–RUMMY AND COLIN, READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UPS! We need you on every news channel and front page telling the American public that now our brave boys and girls are at war, ABSOLUTELY NO CRITICISM WILL BE TOLERATED. Against the war? Go become a human shield, Osama!

It makes me laugh out loud when I hear all these hang-wringing liberal lightweights whimpering that the “war better go well, or President Bush is going to be in political trouble.” BWAA HAA HAA! Our War Product will power us through the full election cycle, so we can frame whatever Democratic patsy gets nominated as “encouraging Saddam” and “giving aid and comfort to the enemy, selling out our brave boys and girls overseas” every time he dare open his mouth against the glorious war to bring democracy to the Middle East.

Okay, Team, it’s SHOWTIME! I want to see you all tomorrow morning at the Prayer Meeting, praying for GREAT SMART BOMB VIDEO, SURGICAL MISSILE HITS, and some COOL FIGHTER PLANE GUN CAMERA FOOTAGE OF IRAQIS FLEEING IN TERROR.